


Your Colors are So Vivid

by GlassAlice



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, Langst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-27
Updated: 2017-09-27
Packaged: 2019-01-06 06:29:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,906
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12205728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GlassAlice/pseuds/GlassAlice
Summary: Lance wasn’t sure what color actually looked like. He’d heard the stories of course, from his mother and abuela, when he was a kid. How the whole world would spring to life and you’d realize that nothing was more beautiful. How you’d realize, in that moment, that life was more beautifultogether.





	Your Colors are So Vivid

Lance casually touched Nyma’s bare arm. Nothing. He wasn’t sure what color actually looked like. He’d heard the stories of course, from his mother and abuela, when he was a kid. How the whole world would spring to life and you’d realize that nothing was more beautiful. How you’d realize, in that moment, that life was more beautiful _together_. Lance sighed. The world still blended dully with blacks, whites, and grays. There were people who died without ever seeing the beauty of color, but Lance wasn’t going to be one of them. He was determined. He would find his soulmate even if he had to touch every being alive.

_Well,_ Lance thought to himself, _If Nyma isn’t my soulmate, then I might as well have some fun._

He slung his arm around Nyma’s shoulders and led her to the castle. He wasn’t actually planning on doing anything more than showing off to a pretty girl, but somehow one mention of Keith and he was flying off with Blue while sitting in an alien girl’s lap. Lance paused, maybe he was the alien now. After all Earth was far, far away. 

Lance shrugged off those dark feelings and smirked at Nyma, “Where do you wanna go?”

“I know a planet close by that’s absolutely beautiful and we can be _all alone_.” Nyma whispered the last part in his ear. A shiver ran through him as he typed in the coordinates Nyma gave him. 

Blue growled low in the back of his head in disapproval but Lance pushed those feelings aside, 

_It’ll be fine, girl, I got everything under control,_ Lance assured Blue. _It’s just a little pitstop and then we’ll be back with everyone else in less than a dobash._

Nyma was right, the planet was beautiful. Lance laughed as he and Blue created rainbows from the water. The rainbows were just shades of gray for him, but it seemed like Nyma could see color just fine and he enjoyed her reaction. Apparently not every race found their soulmates the same way, maybe that’s why they weren't compatible. He needed this. Some time away from the pressures of Voltron, of an alien princess, of being the least liked on the team. He needed some _fun_. 

Lance landed and helped Nyma down to the planet’s surface, Blue still grumbling faintly in the back of his mind. 

“It’s nice just to get away, you know?” Lance smiled at the pigtailed girl next to him. 

“Yeah, Rolo can be a real downer sometimes. Not like you, Lance.” Nyma fluttered her eyes and leaned in closer. 

“Yeah!” it came out a little too high, he cleared his throat, “I’m the king of cool, the sultan of swave, stick with me and you’ll always have a good time!” Lance wiggled his eyebrows at Nyma. 

Everything was going so well with Nyma, he wasn’t sure when it all went down hill. How a fun date had turned into Blue being stolen and him handcuffed to a tree. 

“Quiznacking crow,” Lance muttered to himself as he stretched his leg, trying to grab his helmet. “Of course, Lance, you just had to show off to some dumb girl you just met, only to have Blue stolen and need everyone else to save you. You’re such a good paladin, the spitting image of what a savior of the universe should be.” Lance berated himself.

Lance tried to undo the cuffs himself but they wouldn’t budge. 

_Maybe I can squeeze my hand through_ Lance made his hand as thin as possible and tugged. No luck. He used his opposite hands to pull his gloves off and dropped them on the ground. He tried again without the extra fabric around his hands, but it seemed that with every tug, the cuffs only got tighter. 

Lance growled at himself, “Everyone expects you to let them down, and you just keep proving them right, don’t you? Keep reminding them that you’re the worst one on the team.” His toe finally caught on his helmet and he kicked it over to the general direction of his face. 

After informing the others of his situation, he tried to make himself as comfortable as he could while handcuffed. It felt like forever before his helmet crackled with life.

“Hey, Lance. I got your lion back.” Keith’s voice cut through the silence.

Lance sighed relieved and embarrassed, “Thank you Keith. Now can you come and unchain me?”

Keith’s smirk was audible through the static, “What’s that? I, uh, you’re cutting out, I ca-I can’t hear you.”

“Oh come on, I thought we bonded!” Lance grumbled, but no one responded. “Keith? Buddy? My man?“ Lance tried again, Keith wouldn’t really abandon him here alone, chained up on this deserted planet, right? “Come on, Keith. Keith?” Lance called out to his helmet, “This isn’t funny.”

The wind picked up and Lance looked for the source. The red lion was landing a few yards away. 

“Oh, thank God, Keith! I thought you were really going to leave me here for a moment.” Lance smiled as Red’s mouth opened and Keith hopped out. 

Lance was pretty sure that Keith was walking as slow as possible. Red wasn’t that far away but it took him at least 10 dobashes to get to him. 

“Hurry up and get me out of these things, my wrists are killing me,” Lance whined. 

“Well if you hadn’t been so... “ Keith seemed lost for a moment.

“So _me_?” Lance offered. 

“Yes. So _Lance,_ then we wouldn’t have gotten in this mess. I hope you’re happy.” Keith glared at him crossing his arms.

Lance’s eyes dropped to the ground as his face fell, “I”m sorry.”

Keith faltered, “Oh. Uh... good.” He uncrossed his arms and stepped closer to Lance.

Lance leaned as far back as his cuffs would let him, “What are you doing?”

Keith rolled his eyes, “Maybe we should call Pidge, I’m not sure if I can get these off.” Keith tapped on the cuffs.

Lance relaxed, “Oh, of course, yeah, get me out of these things.”

Keith gripped his glove with his teeth and pulled it off revealing his fingerless gloves.

“You wear gloves under your gloves?” Lance guffawed. 

Keith had the decency to blush, “Whatever.” He pulled out his bayard and summoned his sword. 

“Woah, woah, woah, buddy. What are you doing?” Lance tried to scramble back but the cuffs held strong. 

Keith looked at him confused, “I’m going to cut off the cuffs.”

“With a sword?” Lance asked incredulously.

Keith shrugged, “We could always wait for Pidge.”

Lance hung his head, “Ok, fine. Just get it over with.” He turned his head and squeezed his eyes shut.

“Hold still,” was all the warning Lance had before Keith’s bayard slammed down between the two cuffs, breaking them to bits. 

Lance cringed, “I can’t look, did you do it? How many hands do I have?” He wiggled his fingers in Keith’s direction.

Keith sighed and grabbed Lance’s hands helping him up, “Shut up, Lance. You’re fine.”

Their hands entwined, long tan fingers interlaced with strong pale ones. He could feel Keith’s calloused fingers against the smooth skin of his hands. 

He couldn’t feel that if he didn’t have hands, right?

Lance peaked an eye open to check and his vision was flooded. The blue of his armor, the red of Keith’s, the rainbow water behind them, the purple of the rocks, it was a cacophony of bright vivid colors assaulting his eyes. He quickly closed them again and shook his head. 

_Was this color?_

“Lance are you okay?” Keith looked worried, their hands still linked.

Lance’s face grew hot but he didn’t release his hold or pull away. He opened his eyes again and was met with dark purple irises framed by inky lashes. 

_Oh, Keith’s hair is just black,_ his mind added dully.

Lance looked this way and that trying to take in all the color he could.

“What are you doing?” Keith asked, confused and starting to pull his hands away. 

Lance grabbed at his hands again, “No wait, are you seeing this?” Lance laughed. He was starting to feel giddy. 

This was color. This is the beauty his mother told him about. 

“No? What are you talking about Lance?” Keith’s face scrunched up and he tried to pull away again. 

_And that means Keith’s..._ his mind trailed off. He looked back at Keith, a wide grin met confused purple eyes _my soulmate._

“ _This._ All of this!” He gestured with their linked hands, but his eyes fixed on Keith. He looked at Keith with new eyes. Maybe the gods weren't against him, maybe luck was finally on Lance Serrano’s side. He’d somehow left Earth and it’s seven billion people with the one person who was destined to be his. 

Lance laughed, the joy bubbling up inside him until he felt like he would burst, “Oh! What color are my eyes? My mom said they were blue, but you know mothers. They want you to feel special. I bet they’re just brown.”

Keith finally ripped his hands out of Lance’s and the color melted, shifting from bright vivid hues, to dull muted colors, until the world turned gray again, “What are you talking about Lance? How am I supposed to know what color your eyes are?” Keith crossed his arms and glared at Lance, “ You know I can’t see color without my soulmate. Did Nyma do something funny with your brain?”

Realization hit him like ice, sinking into his bones. Was this possible? How could soulmates not be linked to each other. How was it possible that Keith was his soulmate but he wasn’t Keith’s?

“I...uh…” Lance tried to say and Keith glared at him expectantly. “You really didn’t see it?”

Keith’s expression shifted from confused to worried, “Was it the Galra? Are they here?” Keith looked toward the sky.

Lance laughed to hide the dread eating him from the inside out, “Sorry about that, my man. Thought I saw a pokemon. Alien pokemon monster or something.”

Keith rolled his eyes, “If you’re just going to lie to me then I’m leaving. You should have Coran check out your head. Nyma did something weird to you.”

“Yeah, right. I’ll do that.” Lance’s head felt fuzzy and the whole world seemed to tilt. He followed Keith into Red and tried to hold himself together.

Keith didn’t talk to him on the ride back to the castle and Lance was grateful for the red paladin's cold nature for once.

He apologized to Allura and laughed with Hunk, his actions on autopilot. Finally he excused himself to his room and climbed into his bed fully clothed. 

His fingers gripped the rough blanket and he squeezed his eyes shut. 

_It’s not real. It didn’t happen. It’s not real. It didn’t happen. Nothing_ happened, _Lance._

Tears leaked out of the corners of his eyes and streamed coldly down his face. He was so cold. He shivered as he pulled the blanket tighter around him.

_Everything is fine. I’m fine. Everything is fine. It wasn’t real. Keith is nothing. Keith is nobody. Everything is just_ FINE. _Stop crying._

Lance turned his head into his pillow to muffle his tears. His sobs racked through his body and he shook, trembling in his bed. There he lay, curled up in a ball on his bed in an alien spaceship a billion lightyears from home.

_Everything is fine._

**Author's Note:**

> I hope I gave you all the feels! I'm sorry I can't help it, I just love watching Lance be sad, so now everyone be sad with me! /hugs you to help you feel better
> 
> Story is [based on this prompt!](http://andlearntobreathe.tumblr.com/post/98785442262/none-gavin-saltxxxburn-an-au-where-for-your) I hope you like it!
> 
> Special thanks to [Starbuck7](http://starbuck-7.tumblr.com/) for being the best editor in the world!
> 
> [Stalk me on Tumblr!](http://yuzuling.tumblr.com/) Because I love you!


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